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Цель работы: оценить эффективность применения препарата Мутафлор у детей в возрасте от 1 до 4 лет с диагнозом функциональных гастроинтестинальных расстройств в виде персистирующей диареи на фоне доказанного чрезмерного роста Candida albicans . Материалы и методы. В исследовании принимали участие 32 ребенка в возрасте от 1 до 4 лет с диагнозом функциональных гастроинтестинальных расстройств в виде персистирующей диареи с доказанным чрезмерным ростом Candida albicans . Длительность назначения пробиотического препарата Мутафлор в дозе 1 мл суспензии один раз в сутки составляла 15 дней. Закончили наблюдение 30 детей, два ребенка были исключены из анализа результатов из-за нарушения протокола назначенной терапии. Результаты. У всех детей перед началом работы был определен чрезмерный рост Candida albicans . После 15 дней лечения Candida albican s в испражнениях регистрировалась у 12 детей (40 %), из них у 11 детей (36,7 %) — в количестве 10 4 КОЕ, а у одного ребенка (3,3 %) — 10 3 КОЕ, что свидетельствует о достаточной эффективности применения штамма Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 при кандидозе кишечника. Выводы. Применение препарата Мутафлор (пробиотический штамм Escherichia coli Nissle 1917) у детей с персистирующей диареей на фоне чрезмерного роста Candida albicans способствует уменьшению диареи, колик, вздутия живота, рвоты, эпизодов крика/беспокойства и плохого сна, способствует нормализации биоценоза кишечника.

Persistent diarrhea can be a sign of a number of medical conditions, including a gastrointestinal food allergy. Diagnosis in childhood is not very informative, since allergic diseases at this age often have a non-IgE-dependent mechanism of development. Objective. To study the diagnostic value of the fecal eosinophilic neurotoxin test for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal food allergy in young children with persistent diarrhea. Material and methods. The authors examined 70 young children (from 1 month to 3 years) with persistent diarrhea and 20 conditionally healthy children of the same age without burdened allergic background. They determined fecal eosinophilic neurotoxin levels in all children. The children were divided into 2 groups according to the results of this examination: Group with normal level of neurotoxin and Group with increased level of neurotoxin. Results. The physical development of children with persistent diarrhea with high levels of eosinophilic neurotoxin is often assessed as low or very low. With persistent diarrhea, blood and mucus in the stool was significantly more often detected in children with a high level of eosinophilic neurotoxin. Persistent diarrhea with an increased level of eosinophilic neurotoxin, was significantly more often combined with atopic dermatitis reflecting its allergic nature. The total IgE test turned out to be a highly specific marker of the allergic nature of persistent diarrhea, however, it has a low sensitivity and it is positive only in 26.3% of children with an increased eosinophilic neurotoxin. This fact confirms the non-IgE dependent pathogenetic mechanisms of gastrointestinal allergy. Conclusion: The study demonstrated a high differential diagnostic value of the eosinophilic neurotoxin test in the feces of children with persistent diarrhea. The authors revealed a statistical interconnection of a high level of eosinophilic neurotoxin and other markers of allergy. The results obtained substantiate the advisability of the eosinophilic neurotoxin test as a non-invasive method in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal food allergy.

Cystoisospora belli (C. belli) is an opportunistic coccidian parasite. This case is the first reported C. belli infection associated with AIDS in China. C. belli infection of this case was diagnosed with the presence of oocysts using direct wet mount and Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast stain method, and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Sanger sequencing, ruling out the result of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). This case demonstrates that C. belli infection in AIDS could be a potential risk factor for persistent diarrhea, and should not be neglected in non-endemic area and emphaise the necessity of accurate mNGS databases.

Background: Persistent diarrhea (PD) is a common disease in childhood worldwide. Clinical studies suggested that zinc supplementation is useful in most PD children. However, the relationship between the zinc and immune status of the PD children has not been reported. Objective: To examine serum zinc levels and immune status in 6 to 24 months old children with PD before and after 120 days of oral zinc supplementation and to evaluate the effects of zinc supplementation on serum zinc levels and immune status in PD children. Methods: A case control study was carried. Fifty-eight children aged 6 to 24 months with PD were enrolled. 58 patients were divided into two groups, zinc group (28 cases) and control group (30 cases). Laboratory investigation of serum zinc levels, Lymphocyte subsets (CD3+%, CD4+%, CD8+% and CD4+/CD8+ ratio) and immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) levels was carried out in all these patients once at enrollment and again after 120 days of treatment. Results: Before treatment, the serum zinc concentration was 4.37 ± 1.23 μmol/L in zinc group and 4.42 ± 1.45 μmol/L in control group (P > 0.05). However, after treatment, the serum zinc concentrations in the zinc group were significantly higher (8.81 ± 2.56 μmol/L), as compared to the control group (4.12 ± 1.02 μmol/L) (P P > 0.05) before giving treatment. However, after 120 days of treatment, in the zinc group there was a significant rise in CD4+% (53.60 ± 5.78). The CD4 was significantly higher in the zinc group as compared to the control group (44.73 ± 4.39) (P P P > 0.05). Regarding immunoglobulins, there were no significant differences between zinc and control group in IgG, IgA and IgM levels (P > 0.05) at the time of enrollment (before treatment). However, after treatment, the mean IgG levels in zinc group and control group were 6.36 ± 0.95 g/l and 5.67 ± 0.74 g/l, respectively, P P < 0.05) but no significant differences in IgA levels were evident between the two groups after treatment. Conclusion: Administration of oral zinc supplement improved both serum zinc levels and immune status in children with PD. Zinc supplementation should be administered as adjunctive therapy for PD children.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is responsible for major endemic outbreaks in developing countries. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HEV are widespread in the Central African Republic. We report the first documented case of an HEV infection in a 36-month-old child already suffering from HIV and severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The HIV patient was hospitalized for SAM with persistent diarrhea and prolonged fever. The presence of IgG anti-HEV antibodies was noted. Sequencing of the amplified HEV RNA revealed the presence of genotype 3c. The alanine aminotransferase level was slightly above average. The patient died despite being treated by antiretroviral therapy accompanied by probabilistic antibiotic therapy and nutritional rehabilitation. HEV/HIV co-infection in a malnourished patient can accelerate a fatal outcome. In the presence of biological abnormalities in a severe acutely malnourished HIV-infected patient, HEV RNA detection should be added to the standard medical assessment in sub-Saharan African countries.

Background Persistent and chronic diarrhea is difficult to treat, and infection is still the main cause. In this study, we investigate the application value of xTAG gastrointestinal pathogen panel (xTAG GPP) multiplex PCR in the early diagnosis of persistent and chronic diarrhea in children and to understand the epidemiology of intestinal diarrhea pathogens. Methods One hundred ninety-nine specimens were collected from Nanjing Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing, China). We compared the xTAG GPP multiplex PCR assay with traditional methods (culture, rapid enzyme immunoassay chromatography, and microscopic examination) and performed a statistical analysis. Results The positive rate of the xTAG GPP multiplex PCR assay of diarrhea specimens from 199 patients was 72.86% (145/199). The virus detection rate was 48.7%, and rotavirus A was the most common organism detected (34.67%), concentrated in winter, and was common in children. The second most common organism detected was norovirus GI/GII (20.6%). The positive rate of this bacteria was 40.2%, and Campylobacter (22.11%, 44/199) was most frequently detected. C. difficile toxins A/B and Salmonella was detected in 44 and 17 samples, respectively. Infections with Shigella occurred 4 times, and E. coli O157 was only detected once. Three samples were parasitic (1.51%), two samples were positive for Entamoeba histolytica, and one was positive for Cryptosporidium. Adenovirus 40/41, STEC, ETEC, Giardia, Yersinia enterocolitica and Vibrio cholerae were not detected. In total, 86 (43.2%) infected specimens with a single pathogen were detected. There were 59 coinfections (29.65% of the samples) of viruses and/or bacteria and/or parasites. Coinfections involved 49 double infections (24.62%), 9 triple infections (4.52%) and 1 quadruple infections (0.5%). Norovirus GI/GII was found to have the highest involvement, with 32 coinfections (16.08%). Conclusion The xTAG GPP multiplex PCR assay is simple, sensitive, and specific and can be used as a quick way to diagnose persistent and chronic diarrhea in children.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a highly effective therapy for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI); however, a small percentage of patients fail to achieve cure even after two FMTs. This high-risk cohort remains poorly understood. We performed a multicenter, multinational retrospective review of patients that underwent at least one FMT for a CDI indication at four academic FMT referrals. Patients’ data including CDI, FMT, and FMT variables were assessed. The primary outcome was FMT failure after a second FMT defined as persistent diarrhea and positive laboratory test for C. difficile (PCR or toxin) despite a second FMT within 8 weeks of the first FMT. A multivariable logistic regression model was performed to determine predictors of second FMT failure. A total of 540 patients received at least one FMT during the study period, of which 432 patients had success following the first FMT, 108 had documented failure (25%). Among those who failed the first FMT, 63 patients received a second FMT, of which 36 achieved cure, and 24 had documented failure after the second FMT. Patients that failed the first FMT but did not receive a second FMT and those lost to follow-up were excluded leaving 492 patients included in the analysis. The second FMT failure rate was 4.8% (24/492). Risk factors for second FMT failure identified by multivariable logistic regression included: inpatient status (OR 7.01, 95% CI: 2.37–20.78), the presence of pseudomembranes (OR 3.53, 95% CI: 1.1–11.33), and immunocompromised state (OR 3.56, 95% CI: 1.45–8.72) at the time of first FMT. This study identifies clinically relevant risk factors predictive of failing a second FMT. Clinicians can use these variables to help identify high-risk patients and provide a better-informed consent regarding the possibility of needing multiple FMTs.

Hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) is common and often associated with high mortality in children aged five or less. We sought to evaluate the risk factors and outcome of HAP in such children. We compared demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics in children &lt, 5 years using a case control design during the period of August 2013 and December 2017, where children with HAP were constituted as cases (n = 281) and twice as many randomly selected children without HAP were constituted as controls (n = 562). HAP was defined as a child developing a new episode of pneumonia both clinically and radiologically after at least 48 h of hospitalization. A total of 4101 children were treated during the study period. The mortality was significantly higher among the cases than the controls (8% vs. 4%, p = 0.014). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for potential confounders, it was found that persistent diarrhea (95% CI = 1.32–5.79, p = 0.007), severe acute malnutrition (95% CI = 1.46–3.27, p &lt, 0.001), bacteremia (95% CI = 1.16–3.49, p = 0.013), and prolonged hospitalization of &gt, 5 days (95% CI = 3.01–8.02, 0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for HAP. Early identification of these risk factors and their prompt management may help to reduce HAP-related fatal consequences, especially in resource limited settings.

Diarrhea is one of the major causes of death in children, particularly in developing countries. Rapid detection and treatment is necessary to control disease transmission in the community and thus limiting the huge number of death toll. The major cause of diarrhea in developing countries is Escherichia coli (E. coli).This study was aimed to isolate E. coli from diarrheal stool samples from children aged 05 months to 05 years visited/ hospitalized in Quetta due to acute/persistent diarrhea. Diarrheal stool samples from 200 children were collected from Lady Sandeman Hospital Quetta and cultured on nutrient agar and later transferred to E. coli specific growth media for initial detection. For further confirmation the colonies were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR results revealed that 44(22%) samples out of 200 samples were positive for E. coli. These results indicate a high proportion of E. coli infection among children suffering with diarrhea.

Zusammenfassung Anamnese und klinischer Befund Wir berichten von einer 72–jährigen Patientin mit einer therapieresistenten Diarrhö. Untersuchungen Bei negativem Keimnachweis und unauffälliger Bildgebung erfolgte eine endoskopische Diagnostik. Histologisch imponierte das Bild einer Zöliakie im Duodenum sowie einer lymphozytären Kolitis bis in das terminale Ileum und eine mikroskopische Kolitis. Bei negativem Antikörpernachweis für eine Zöliakie ergab sich die Verdachtsdiagnose einer Medikamentennebenwirkung. Therapie und Verlauf Nach Absetzen des Sartans Olmesartan kam es zu einer raschen Besserung der Symptomatik. Folgerung und Diagnose Für den AT1-Rezeptorantagonisten Olmesartan ist in seltenen Fällen das Auftreten einer Sprue-ähnlichen Enteropathie beschrieben. Mikroskopische Kolitiden sind Ausnahmen.

Background Single-anastomosis duodenal switch (SADS) has emerged in recent years as an alternative to the standard double-anastomosis duodenal switch (DADS). The objective of this study was to compare short- and medium-term outcomes between SADS and DADS. Methods Data collected in the Ontario Bariatric Registry between 2010 and 2019 were used for this retrospective study to determine outcomes of patients undergoing primary laparoscopic SADS versus DADS at a Canadian tertiary hospital and bariatric center of excellence. The primary outcome was weight loss at 1 and 2 years after surgery. Short-term secondary outcomes included operative times, intra- and early postoperative complications, hospital length of stay (LOS), and 30-day readmissions. Medium-term secondary outcomes included late postoperative complications as well as nutritional deficiencies and persistent diarrhea at 1 and 2 years after surgery. Subgroup analyses were performed to compare patients undergoing one- and two-stage procedures. Results Data of 107 patients who underwent SADS (n = 25) or DADS (n = 82) were included in the study. Follow-up data were available for 59/107 (55.1%) patients at 1 year and 47/107 (43.9%) at 2 years after surgery. Patients in the SADS and DADS groups had similar %TBWL at 1 year (23.6 versus 26.2, P = 0.617) and 2 years (24.8 versus 30.2, P = 0.116) after surgery. Short- and medium-term outcomes were similar between groups. There was no difference between patients undergoing one- versus two-stage procedures. Conclusion This study showed that patients undergoing SADS and DADS had similar weight loss at 1 and 2 years. Early and late postoperative morbidity, operative times, early readmissions, and LOS were also similar between groups. Further studies with longer follow-up are required to confirm these results.

Objective: Globally childhood diarrheal diseases continue to be the second leading cause of death. Cryptosporidium spp are important intestinal parasites that cause diarrhea in humans and animals particularly in developing countries. This investigation was carried out to find out the frequency of cryptosporidiosis in children presenting with persistent diarrhea. Methods: Two hundred stool samples were collected in this descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at Microbiology Department, Combined Military Hospital, Lahore Pakistan between the months of July to Dec 2014. Children aged five years to 12 years who presented with persistent diarrhea were included in the study. Stool specimens were processed using the modified acid-fast staining method, and microscopically examined for Cryptosporidium infection. Results: The average age of study participants was 7.95 with a standard deviation of 2.21 years. Among the participants 66% were males whereas 34% were females. Twenty eight percent had presence of oocysts in stool samples. Conclusions: The frequency of Cryptosporidiosis among children with persistent diarrhea was 28%. This high frequency indicates that this population is uniquely susceptible to infection. It also highlights the need for education about hygiene, accurate diagnosis, and treatment of Cryptosporidiosis. There is also a need for additional studies regarding the occurrence of this pathogen. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.2700 How to cite this:Iqbal MD, Naeem T, Khurshid U, Hameed F. Frequency of Cryptosporidiosis in Children having Persistent Diarrhea. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):121-124. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.2700 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

From the management point of view, acute diarrhea in Indonesian children is not a big problem anymore. Persistent diarrhea, although the prevalence is less than 10% of acute diarrhea, hut the case fatality rate is about 5-7 times higher which is account for 30-50% of total diarrhea deaths. There are many factors which may contribute to the etiologies of persistent diarrheas. They are among others the specific agents mainly the invasive bacterias (Galmonella spp, Shigella spp, Campylobacter spp, Enteroinvasive E. coli, etc.), Giardia Lamblia and E. histolytica; malnutrition, malabsorption syndromes, systemic infections mainly measles; and last but not least the missmanagement of acute diarrhea, particularly the abundance use of antibiotics and antidiarrheal agents, the late of giving food to the patients and the too early giving semisolid food in normal young baby less than 4-6 month of age.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T02:24:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-04-22 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an important agent of acute and persistent diarrhea in children and adults worldwide. Here we report a characterization of 220 EAEC isolates, 88.2% (194/220) of which were typical and 11.8% (26/220) were atypical, obtained from diarrheal patients during seven years (2010-2016) of epidemiological surveillance in Brazil. The majority of the isolates were assigned to phylogroups A (44.1%, 97/220) or B1 (21.4%, 47/220). The aggregative adherence (AA) pattern was detected in 92.7% (204/220) of the isolates, with six of them exhibiting AA concomitantly with a chain-like adherence pattern; and agg5A and agg4A were the most common adhesin-encoding genes, which were equally detected in 14.5% (32/220) of the isolates. Each of 12 virulence factor-encoding genes (agg4A, agg5A, pic, aap, aaiA, aaiC, aaiG, orf3, aar, air, capU, and shf) were statistically associated with typical EAEC (P < 0.05). The genes encoding the newly described aggregate-forming pili (AFP) searched (afpB, afpD, afpP, and afpA2), and/or its regulator (afpR), were exclusively detected in atypical EAEC (57.7%, 15/26), and showed a significant association with this subgroup of EAEC (P < 0.001). In conclusion, we presented an extensive characterization of the EAEC circulating in the Brazilian settings and identified the afp genes as putative markers for increasing the efficiency of atypical EAEC diagnosis. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Laboratório Regional de Santo André Instituto Adolfo Lutz Centro de Bacteriologia Instituto Adolfo Lutz Departamento de Microbiologia Imunologia e Parasitologia Universidade Federal de São Paulo- Escola Paulista de Medicina Laboratório de Bacteriologia Instituto Butantan Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências

In diarrheal diseases control program (CDD), the mechanism of diarrheal diseases (DD) death can be classified into: dehydration, dysentery, complication, and persistent diarrhea. The aim of the presentation is to predict the share of these components and to highlight the role of persistent diarrhea. Demographic figures were inferred from the Census and the 1985 Inter-Censal Survey data. Rates on DD were inferred from the National Household Health Surveys and relevant reports. The mechanisms of death were inferred from the pattern of DO death in Palembang General Hospital. By fair prediction, in infants, 1.5 lives will be saved per 1000 live births through COD Program, 88% is the share of persistent diarrhea control, and 20% of better management of DD complicated with other diseases. In 1-4 years of age, the figures are 68% and 38%, respectively. The share of promoting rehydration and dysentery management will be minimal in declining infant mortality rate (MR) and childhood death rate (CDR) between 1992 and 2000. The share of COD in declining IMR and CDR must depend on a better management of persistent and complicated DD.

Patient: Male, 60 Final Diagnosis: Dengue cerebellitis Symptoms: Dizziness • fever • headaches • vomiting Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Lumbar puncture Specialty: Neurology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Dengue-associated neurological manifestations have recently been on the rise. Cerebellar syndrome complicating dengue fever has rarely been reported in the literature. We present a case report of dengue-associated cerebellar syndrome and performed a literature review to draw attention to this rare neurological complication. Case Report: A 60-year-old man presented with 4 days of fever, myalgia, arthralgia, headaches, and warning symptoms (persistent diarrhea and vomiting). He was admitted with serologically-confirmed dengue fever. He had been well until day 8 of illness, when he developed cerebellar signs and symptoms. The temporal relationship with the recent dengue fever suggested that he had dengue cerebellitis. He recovered well, with no neurological sequelae upon our clinic visit. Conclusions: Dengue cerebellitis is a rare but recognized manifestation, which should be considered in patients from endemic areas of dengue fever who develop cerebellar syndrome.

Cystoisospora belli infection is regarded as an indicator disease of AIDS in Japan; however, only a few case reports showing this association are present. Our case study involved a 49-year-old Thai woman living in Japan since her marriage to a Japanese man. She was repeatedly hospitalized owing to persistent diarrhea. Considering her native country, she was suggested of having AIDS. Serological examination for HIV-1 tested positive, and C. belli infection was diagnosed on detection of oocysts in her stool samples. She was treated successfully for the parasitic infection with oral trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole therapy for 10 days. No AIDS-associated opportunistic infections other than cystoisosporiasis were detected. Thus, this study suggests that an immunocompromised individual with persistent and recurrent diarrhea should be examined to confirm for C. belli infection. Moreover, it is possible that a person in a high-latitude region will develop a parasitic infection common in tropical areas because of globalization.

In children from developing countries 5 to 10 per cent of acute diarrhea (AD) episodes develop into persistent diarrhea (PD) defined by > 14 days of diarrhea duration. PD represents a major health burden leading to growth faltering. It is also associated with half of all diarrhea mortality. A rational intervention is thus crucial, but depends on an understanding of the pathogenesis of PD, which is still lacking. Many surveys were conducted in Latin America and in South Asia; they differ, however, with respect to enteropathogens associated with PD. Enteroaggregative strains of Escherichia coli (EAEC) were identified by several studies, but they may reflect selection by the frequent antibiotic use during the preceding AD episode. Epidemiologists have in fact identified antibiotic misuse as a major risk factor for PD. Together with the effectiveness of empirical treatment based on nutritional interventions with lactose-reduced and lactose-free diets and particularly complex plant polysaccharides from green banana, one might suspect a role of commensal gut microbiota dysbiosis instead of a persistent infection with enteropathogens in many PD cases. An analysis of the commensal gut microbiota development in persistent diarrhea during nutritional interventions is likely to increase our understanding of PD pathogenesis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

After introduction of rotavirus vaccine, other pathogens might become leading causes of hospitalizations for severe diarrhea among children

COMBAT consortium: et al., [Background]: We studied geographic distribution of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli virulence genes (DEC VGs) acquisition in travellers and investigated if they acquired highly virulent EAEC/STEC hybrid strains., [Methods]: From the prospective, multicentre COMBAT study among 2001 Dutch travellers, 491 travellers were selected based on travel destination to 7 subregions. Faecal samples taken directly before and after travel were screened for nine DEC VGs with real-time PCR. Incidence proportions and rates were calculated for each gene and subregion., [Results]: 479 travellers were analysed. 21.8% acquired aggR (EAEC), with highest acquisition rates in Northern and Western Africa and 15.3% acquired eae (STEC/EPEC) with highest rates in travellers to Western and Eastern Africa. ETEC (elt or est gene) was acquired by 4.2% of travellers and acquisition of est was associated with traveller's diarrhoea. Overall, the risk of acquiring DEC VGs was low in Southern Africa and South America. Although the combination of aggR (EAEC) and stx1/2 (STEC) was acquired by 3 travellers, these genes could not be detected together in a single E. coli strain., [Conclusions]: The risk of acquisition of DEC VGs strongly depends on the travel destination, with those travelling to Africa - except Southern Africa - having a higher risk., The COMBAT-study was funded by Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw, grant number 205200003). This work is a contribution to EU FP7 ANTIGONE (project number 278976).

Background: Diarrhea is a frequent but overlooked complication of living liver donation. Thus, this retrospective study aimed to report the natural course of diarrhea and examined predictors of persistent diarrhea after living donor hepatectomy.Methods: We enrolled 79 donors who underwent living donor hepatectomy between 2010 and 2015 at a single medical center and had diarrhea symptoms after hepatectomy. The Chinese version of the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) was applied to evaluate the effect of diarrhea on quality of life.Results: The onset of diarrhea was post-donation 1.1±0.3 months. According to their duration of diarrhea, donors were further classified into two groups: the healed and the persistent diarrhea group, the ratio was 36 to 43 (45.6% versus 54.4%). A donor who followed a low-fat diet had a protective effect on persistent diarrhea (odds ratio [OR] =0.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.04-0.66). Compared to healed diarrhea donors, donors with persistent diarrhea had lower GIQLI scores in the domains of physical (2.3 versus 1.9) and social functions (2.5 versus 2.3). Receiver operating characteristic curves for the duration of diarrhea after liver donation indicated that a donor was likely to develop a persistent diarrhea status if the duration of the diarrhea reached 12.5 months.Conclusions: A donor not following a low-fat diet can be independently predictive for persistent diarrhea after living donor hepatectomy. Besides, a donor with persistent diarrhea after hepatectomy is more likely to report lower GIQLI scores in physical and social functions.

Background Diarrhea is the second-leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age. In low- and middle-income countries, 3%-20% of acute diarrheal episodes become persistent diarrhea (PD) (ie, duration ≥14 days), which results in 36%-56% of all diarrheal deaths. In Bangladesh, PD causes >25% of diarrhea-related deaths. Commensal gut microbiota dysbiosis is increasingly recognized in the pathogenesis of PD. Hospital-based management of PD requires a hospital stay, which increases the risk of infection and hospital costs. The higher cost of treatment and high case-fatality rates reiterate PD as an important public health problem. At the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), for the last two decades, a consensus-based guideline has been followed for PD. Observation has revealed that green banana helps in the resolution of diarrhea. However, no larger prospective study has been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of green banana in the management of PD among children older than 6 months of age. Objective Our objective is to assess the efficacy of full-strength rice suji with and without green banana compared to three-quarter-strength rice suji in the management of PD in children aged 6-36 months at the Dhaka Hospital of the icddr,b. Methods This open-labeled, randomized controlled study aims to enroll a total of 145 children with PD who have not been improving on a diet of milk suji. Children will be randomized into three different diet-specific groups: full-strength rice suji containing green banana, full-strength rice suji alone, and three-quarter-strength rice suji. The primary outcome is the percentage of children who recovered from diarrhea by day 5. Results Recruitment and data collection began in December 2017 and were completed in November 2019. Results are expected by April 2020. Conclusions This study is expected to provide insights into the incorporation of green banana into the dietary management of PD. This would be the first study to investigate the role of microbiota and metabolomics in the pathogenesis of PD. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03366740; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03366740 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/15759

Introducción: Las infecciones respiratorias y enfermedades diarreicas agudas son enfermedades prevalentes en el menor de 5 años, factores socioeconómicos bajos y una deficiente higiene favorecen el desarrollo de estas patologías. Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia de estas enfermedades en el menor de 5 años en la comunidad de Villa Carmen – Quillacollo durante el año 2017. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal. El universo fue de 1 780 menores de 5 años que acudieron a consulta del centro de salud de Villa Carmen – Quillacollo. Resultados: Se encontró que 651 menores de 5 años enfermaron con infecciones respiratorias (37%) y 222 enfermaron con enfermedades diarreicas agudas (12%). La mayor prevalencia de infecciones respiratorias fue en los meses de abril, mayo, julio y la mayor prevalencia de enfermedades diarreicas fue en los meses de marzo, abril, junio, julio y diciembre. Se identificó que los niños de 1 año a menores de 2 años son los más afectados con infecciones respiratorias presentando resfrió común y los menores de 1 año son los más afectados con enfermedades diarreicas presentando diarrea y diarrea persistente. Conclusión: La prevalencia de infecciones respiratorias y enfermedades diarreicas agudas en la comunidad de Villa Carmen es de 37% y 12% respectivamente, datos que tienen que ser puestos a consideración, por lo cual se recomienda información y educación a las madres y niños respecto a medidas preventivas para limitar la prevalencia de estas patologías.

[EN] In a global world, knowledge of imported infectious diseases is essential in daily practice, both for the microbiologist–parasitologist and the clinician who diagnoses and treats infectious diseases in returned travelers. Tropical and subtropical countries where there is a greater risk of contracting an infectious disease are among the most frequently visited tourist destinations. The SEIMC considers it appropriate to produce a consensus document that will be useful to primary care physicians as well as specialists in internal medicine, infectious diseases and tropical medicine who help treat travelers returning from tropical and sub-tropical areas with infections. Preventive aspects of infectious diseases and infections imported by immigrants are explicitly excluded here, since they have been dealt with in other SEIMC documents. Various types of professionals (clinicians, microbiologists, and parasitologists) have helped produce this consensus document by evaluating the available evidence-based data in order to propose a series of key facts about individual aspects of the topic. The first section of the document is a summary of some of the general aspects concerning the general assessment of travelers who return home with potential infections. The main second section contains the key facts (causative agents, diagnostic procedures and therapeutic measures) associated with the major infectious syndromes affecting returned travelers [gastrointestinal syndrome (acute or persistent diarrhea); febrile syndrome with no obvious source of infection; localized cutaneous lesions; and respiratory infections]. Finally, the characteristics of special traveler subtypes, such as pregnant women and immunocompromised travelers, are described., [ES] En el mundo global, el conocimiento de las enfermedades infecciosas importadas es esencial en la práctica diaria, tanto para el microbiólogo-parasitólogo como para el clínico en enfermedades infecciosas que atiende a viajeros internacionales. Entre los destinos turísticos más visitados se encuentran muchos países tropicales o subtropicales, donde el riesgo de contraer una enfermedad infecciosa es más elevado. La SEIMC ha considerado pertinente la elaboración de un documento de consenso que sirva de ayuda tanto a médicos de Atención Primaria como a especialistas en Medicina Interna, Enfermedades Infecciosas y Medicina Tropical que atienden a viajeros que regresan con infecciones tras un viaje a zonas tropicales y subtropicales. Se han excluido de forma explícita los aspectos de prevención de estas y las infecciones importadas por inmigrantes, objeto de otros documentos de la SEIMC. Varios tipos de profesionales (clínicos, microbiólogos y parasitólogos) han desarrollado este documento de consenso tras evaluar los datos disponibles basados en la evidencia para proponer una serie de datos clave acerca de este aspecto. Inicialmente se revisan los aspectos generales acerca de la evaluación general del viajero que regresa con una potencial infección. En un segundo bloque se señalan los datos clave (agentes causales, procedimientos diagnósticos y medidas terapéuticas) de los síndromes infecciosos principales en el viajero que regresa (síndrome gastrointestinal (diarrea aguda o persistente), síndrome febril sin foco aparente, lesiones cutáneas localizadas e infecciones respiratorias). Finalmente se describen las características en viajeros especiales como la viajera embarazada y el viajero inmunodeprimido.

Intractable watery diarrhea presenting in the neonatal period is a relatively uncommon condition. Congenital disorders of malabsorption are among the major causes of prolonged watery diarrhea. This is the case report of a 3-month male infant born to consanguineous parents, who presented with intractable diarrhea since birth. He was failing to thrive and wasted. Persistent diarrhea lead to prolonged hospitalisation and recurrent hypernatremic dehydration. Relevant investigations clinched the diagnosis of ''congenital glucose galactose malabsorption (CGGM)''. The astute clinician should have a high index of suspicion regarding such rare causes of diarrhea in early infancy, as an appropriate rational diagnosis can lead to life-saving treatment as depicted in this case report.

To investigate the effect of vitamin A and Zn supplementation on vitamin A status, haemoglobin level and defecation of children with persistent diarrhea, a total of 160 paediatric patients were randomly assigned to one of four intervention groups: daily supplementation of 1,500 IU VA for 14 days; daily Zn supplementation for 14 days; daily supplementation with both VA and Zn for 14 days; no supplementation. One hundred twenty-seven children with persistent diarrhea finished intervention (33 were lost to follow-up). Among the 127 children, 41 (32.28%) had anaemia, 104 (81.89%) had a VA deficiency and 38 (29.92%) had an iron insufficiency. Supplementation with VA or VA + Zn enhanced the serum VA levels and ameliorated anaemia. Supplementation with Zn and VA + Zn for 5 days significantly improved defecation, where the VA + Zn treatment resulted in superior outcomes. After 14 days of intervention, the total effectiveness rates were 93.94%, 96.77% and 96.67% in the three groups, significantly greater than that of the non-supplementation group (72.73%). These results indicate that single VA or concurrent VA + Zn supplementation can improve vitamin A status, haemoglobin level and defecation. However, concurrent VA + Zn supplementation is the optimal option and can shorten the duration of persistent diarrhea and markedly improve nutritional status. (www.clinicaltrials.gov registration number: ChiCTR-IOR-14005498).

We present a case of a 73-year-old woman who presented with chronic watery diarrhea, weight loss, and frequent sinus and nail fungal infections. Her previous workup with a gastroenterologist failed to reveal any causative agent for her symptoms. She considered herself healthy until a thymic tumor was discovered and removed years ago. Subsequently, she developed multiple sinus infections refractory to treatment. Relevant immunology laboratory tests were conducted, which led to the diagnosis. This case illustrated the need for a detailed history and thorough immunologic assessment, and the requirement to maintain a broad differential diagnosis.

Ob jectives: To evaluate the hazard of prolonged antibiotic therapy and/or persistent diarrhea on vitamin K1 (VK1) level and bleeding profile in infants (2-24 weeks). Methods: A one-year case-control study, conducted at Ain Shams University, Egypt. 338 infants (2-24 weeks) were recruited and divided into 3 groups (1:1:3 ratios); group A (n= 67) patients who received antibiotics for ≥10 days, group B (n= 67) who had persistent diarrhea ≥ 14 days and group C (n=204) age- and gender-matched infants who were not either received antibiotics nor had diarrhea. All subjected to clinical assessment, bleeding history and had their complete blood count (CBC), PT and PTT, liver transaminases and VK1 level assayed. Results: There was a significant increase in the frequency of VKDB (vitamin K deficiency bleeding) and abnormal bleeding profile in cases than the control group. There was a significant negative correlation between VK1 level and duration of diarrhea, length of antibiotics used and bleeding profile. Antibiotic usage has a dangerous effect on the VK1 level in those with diarrhea; more patients were receiving antibiotic in those with persistent diarrhea and VKDB (N=55) than those with persistent diarrhea and normal VK1 (N=12). The longer duration of antibiotic therapy the lower level of VK1. Combining cephalosporins/penicillins therapy and/or diarrhea, in particular, had an impact on the VK1 level. Conclusion: VKDB, a preventable cause of life-threatening hemorrhage, is still a major health problem in Egyptian infants, where persistent diarrhea and misuse of antibiotics are prevalent, necessitate a booster dose of VK in those high risk infants. Keyword: Prolonged Antibiotics; Persistent Diarrhea; Vitamin K1; Egyptian

Diarrhea is one of the most common complications following colectomy in patients with slow transit constipation (STC). Early postoperative diarrhea is usually treated with opioid agonists; however, to date, published data on the management of persistent diarrhea after colectomy for STC are scarce. Here, we report a case of severe diarrhea after a total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis. One year after the surgery, the patient presented with persistent diarrhea. Treatment with a long-acting somatostatin analogue, lanreotide Autogel, was initiated. One month after the first injection of lanreotide Autogel the diarrhea was resolved. The patient’s stool transit was markedly improved (type 4 or type 5 according to the Bristol Stool Chart compared to type 7 before the treatment), positively affecting the patient’s quality of life (mean score of 2.1 on the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life questionnaire compared to 3.9 before the treatment). This case report describes a successful use of lanreotide Autogel in a patient with persistent diarrhea after a total colectomy.

We report the case of a 2-year-old boy with Hirschsprung's disease who developed perianal pseudoverrucous papules and nodules subsequent to persistent diarrhea and stool leakage after Giardia infection. Bleeding from the papules resulted in iron deficiency anaemia requiring blood transfusion and iron infusion. Topical therapies used over 6 months were of limited benefit and colostomy was considered, but the condition completely resolved after commencement of oral loperamide. This demonstrates that perianal pseudoverrucous papules and nodules can be severe but are entirely reversible upon removal of the source of skin irritation.

We evaluated the efficacy of oral glutamine supplementation in children 2 to 60 months of age with persistent diarrhea by 1:1 randomization to standard treatment alone or together with twice daily glutamine. The failure rate was similar in both arms (relative risk: 1.8 [95% confidence interval: 0.8-3.7], P = 0.12). Glutamine supplementation showed no benefit on the outcome of persistent diarrhea.

The symptomatology of Blastocystis cannot be attributed to any particular subtype, although can be related to a high Blastocystis infection load. One stool sample from each of 217 schoolchildren of Vale de Sol Paranaguá Bay (Paraná, Brazil) was collected. Three milliliters of each fixed stool sample were processed applying the formalin-ether concentration technique. After obtaining the overall prevalence of intestinal parasites, quantification was carried out in Blastocystis positive samples. A total of 75/217 (34.6%) children suffered from intestinal symptoms (abdominal pain and/or persistent diarrhea), of whom 41.3% (31/75) presented moderate/heavy Blastocystis load with a statistically significant risk to present intestinal symptoms (OR 0.039 [0.006-0.15]; p

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAggEC) strains cause the persistent diarrhea in infants and compromised hosts in developing countries. These strains are currently defined as E. coli that adheres to HEp-2 cells in an aggregative adherence (AA) pattern. In this study, we compared 4 different rapid methods for the detection of EAggEC using a PCR assay, clump formation test, glass slide adherence assay, and the HEp-2 cell adherence assay. Out of 683 E. coli strains isolated from diarrheal stool samples, we detected 17 aggR and/or clump-positive strains, and identified 2 aggR-positive, clump-negative strains and 2 aggR-negative, clump-positive strains. All the aggR positive and clump positive strains also showed positive results in glass slide adherence and HEp-2 cell adherence assays. From all these results, we suggest the following procedure for the rapid identification of EAggEC strains: first, screen E. coli strains with the clump formation test and subsequently perform the glass slide adherence assay to observe AA for confirmation.

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an emerging cause of acute and persistent diarrhea worldwide. The pathogenesis of different EAEC stains is complicated, however, the early essential step begins with attachment of EAEC to intestinal mucosa via aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAFs). Currently, five different variants have been identified, which all share a degree of similarity in the gene organization of their operons and sequences. Here, we report the solution structure of Agg5A from the AAF/V variant. While preserving the major structural features shared by all AAF members, only Agg5A possesses an inserted helix at the beginning of the donor strand, which together with altered surface electrostatics, renders the protein unable to interact with fibronectin. Hence, here we characterize the first AAF variant with a binding mode that varies from previously described AAFs

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an agent of acute and persistent diarrhea worldwide, categorized in typical or atypical subgroups. Some EAEC virulence factors are members of the serine protease autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae (SPATE). The presence of SPATE-encoding genes of different E. coli pathotypes was searched in a large collection of EAEC strains, and a possible association between SPATEs and E. coli phylogroups was investigated. Among 108 typical and 85 atypical EAEC, pic was the most prevalent gene, detected in 47.1% of the strains, followed by sat (24.3%), espI (21.2%), pet (19.2%), sepA (13.5%), sigA (4.1%), eatA (4.1%), vat (1.0%), espP and tsh, detected in one strain (0.5%) each; while epeA and espC were not detected. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that 39.9% of the strains belonged to group A, 23.3% to B1, 10.9% to B2, 7.8% to D, 8.8% to E and 1.5% to F. The majority of the SPATE genes were distributed in typical and atypical strains without association with any phylogroup. In addition, pic and pet were strongly associated with typical EAEC and sepA was detected in close association with atypical EAEC. Our data indicate that SPATEs may represent important virulence traits in both subgroups of EAEC.

Traveller's diarrhea can be caused by bacteria, protozoa, helminths and viruses. Globally, the most common causes of traveller's diarrhea are two pathotypes of Escherichia coli (enterotoxigenic and enteroaggregative) and Shigella, although there are significant variations according to the geographic area visited. While traveller's diarrhea is usually a mild, self-limiting disease, half of the travellers with traveller's diarrhea have some limitation in their activities during the journey and up to 10% present persistent diarrhea or other complications, making microbiological diagnosis necessary. The aim of this article is to describe the application of new molecular diagnostic tools mainly based on multiplex PCR, including their advantages and disadvantages as well as the current gaps that requiring further study.

Prolonged diarrhea is usually defined as acute-onset diarrhea lasting 7 days or more, but less than 14 days. Its trend has been declining in recent years because of improvement in the management of acute diarrhea, which represents the ideal strategy to prevent prolonged diarrhea. The pathogenesis of prolonged diarrhea is multifactorial and essentially based on persistent mucosal damage due to specific infections or sequential infections with different pathogens, host-related factors including micronutrient and/or vitamin deficiency, undernutrition and immunodeficiency, high mucosal permeability due to previous infectious processes and nutrient deficiency with consequential malabsorption, and microbiota disruption. Infections seem to play a major role in causing prolonged diarrhea in both developing and developed areas. However, single etiologic pathogens have not been identified, and the pattern of agents varies according to settings, host risk factors, and previous use of antibiotics and other drugs. The management of prolonged diarrhea is complex. Because of the wide etiologic spectrum, diagnostic algorithms should take into consideration the age of the patient, clinical and epidemiological factors, and the nutritional status and should always include a search for enteric pathogens. Often, expensive laboratory evaluations are of little benefit in guiding therapy, and an empirical approach may be effective in the majority of cases. The presence or absence of weight loss is crucial for driving the initial management of prolonged diarrhea. If there is no weight loss, generally there is no need for further evaluation. If weight loss is present, empiric anti-infectious therapy or elimination diet may be considered once specific etiologies have been excluded.

The Current Topics in Military Tropical Medicine series provides focused reviews addressing specific questions faced by operational military medical personnel. This issue in the series explores the diagnosis and management of persistent diarrhea in deployed service members.

Whipple's disease is an infection caused by the Gram-positive bacillus Tropheryma whipplei. Invasion or uptake of the bacteria can occur in various parts of the body. The differential diagnoses are broad due to the wide spectrum of infection, and the disease is diagnosed based on biopsy of suspected lesions, usually in the small intestine. We present the case of a 56-year-old man with no significant prior medical history who presented with swelling and pain in the left eye. Review of systems revealed 6 months of persistent diarrhea, and intestinal biopsy revealed periodic acid-Schiff–positive macrophages.

Poor micronutrient status is associated with diarrheal illness, but it is not known whether low folate and/or cobalamin status are independent risk factors for diarrhea. We measured the association between plasma folate and cobalamin and subsequent diarrheal morbidity in a prospective cohort study of 2296 children aged 6-30 mo in New Delhi, India. Plasma concentrations of folate, cobalamin, total homocysteine (tHcy), and methylmalonic acid were determined at baseline. Whether a child had diarrhea was recorded during weekly visits in a 4-mo zinc supplementation trial. Diarrhea episodes lasting7, ≥7, and ≥14 d were classified as acute, prolonged, and persistent, respectively. There was a total of 4596 child periods with acute, 633 with prolonged, and 117 with persistent diarrhea during follow-up. Children with plasma folate concentrations in the lowest quartile had higher odds of persistent diarrhea than children in the other quartiles [adjusted OR = 1.77 (95% CI = 1.14, 2.75); P = 0.01]. This effect differed between boys [adjusted OR = 2.51 (95% CI = 1.47, 4.28)] and girls [adjusted OR = 1.03 (95% CI = 0.53, 2.01); P-interaction = 0.030]. We found a small but significant association between high plasma tHcy concentration and acute diarrhea [adjusted OR = 1.14 (95% CI = 1.04, 1.24); P = 0.006]. Plasma cobalamin concentration was not a predictor of diarrheal morbidity. In conclusion, poor folate status was an independent predictor of persistent diarrhea in this population.

Gastrointestinal (GI) GVHD after allo-SCT is diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and findings in endoscopic mucosal biopsy specimens. However, GI symptoms often persist despite treatment and whether a second endoscopy may be helpful in determining the most suitable therapy is not established. We identified 31 patients with persistent diarrhea who underwent more than one endoscopic study. All cases underwent serial microbiological stool analysis and CMV-detecting assays on serum and biopsies. Of the 31 initial GI biopsies, 20 (64.5%) were classified as GVHD, two (6.5%) as GVHD with CMV, four (13%) as non-CMV infection, and five (16%) as normal or unspecific. The second GI biopsies were diagnostic of GVHD in nine cases (29%), GVHD simultaneously with CMV infection in four (13%), regenerative changes post-GVHD in five (16%), CMV infection in four (13%), and normal or unspecific in nine (29%). In 22 of the 31 patients (71%), the histological findings of the second/third endoscopic biopsies differed from the findings of the first endoscopy and led to a therapy change in 77%. In conclusion, serial GI endoscopies are of reliable diagnostic value and can impact on therapeutic decision-making for patients with persistent diarrhea after allo-SCT.

Amac: ‹nfantil persistan ishal, literaturde cok iyi dokumante edilmemifltir. Bu cal›flman›n amac›; kliniimizde izlenen infant do- nemde ortaya c›kan persistan ishalli olgular›n, literatur bilgileri eflliinde gozden gecirilerek, pediatrik gastroenterologlar icin pra- tik bir algoritma oluflturmakt›r. Yontem: Ondort gunden daha uzun suren ishal olgular› persistan ishal olarak kabul edilmifltir. Yafllar› 0-24 ay aras› olan 41 persistan ishal olgusu cal›flmaya dâhil edilmifltir. Hastalar, gaitalar›nda mukus ve/veya kan bulu- nup bulunmamas›na gore kolitler ve enteropatiler olmak uzere iki ana gruba bolunmufltur. Kolit grubunda ay›r›c› tan› amac›yla; gaita kulturleri, diyet k›s›tlamalar›, tam kan say›m›, akut faz reaktantlar›, Paterji testi, Ailevi Akdeniz atefli ve Behcet hastal›¤› icin gen analizleri, kolonoskopi ve biyopsileri yap›lm›flt›r. Enteropati grubunda ise ay›r›c› tan› amac›yla serum ve gaita elektrolit- leri, arterieyel kan gazlar›, serum albumin seviyesi, lipit profilleri, gaita alfa-1 antitripsin seviyeleri, gaita pH'lar›, gaitada yave reduktan madde varl›¤›na bak›lm›fl, endoskopi ve biyopsileri yap›lm›flt›r. Bulgular: Toplam 41 persistan ishalli olgu icerisinde; 7 colyak hastal›¤›, 5 intestinal lenfanjiektazi, 2 mikrovillus inkluzyon cisimcii hastal›¤›, 2 abetalipoproteinemi vakas› ve 11 inek su- tu protein alerjisi, 27 vakal›k enteropati grubunu oluflturmufltur. Toplam 13 hastadan oluflan kolit grubunda ise; 1 Behcet hasta- l›¤›, 1 kolitis ulseroza ve 11 inek sutu protein alerjisi olgusu mevcuttu. Pankreatik yetmezlik olarak kendini gosteren 2 hasta kistik fibrozis tan›s› ald›lar. Bir hastada ise, kistik fibrozis ve inek sutu protein alerjisi mevcuttu. Sonuc: Literatur incelendiinde, bu ol- gu serisi enfeksiyon kaynakl› olmayan en genifl persistan ishal grubunu oluflturmaktad›r. Anahtar kelimeler: Persistan ishal, infant, inatc› ishal Background/aims: Infantile persistent diarrhea series are not well documented in the literature. Evaluating the literature, the aim of this study was to document persistent diarrhea cases followed in our center and to constitute a practical diagnostic algorithm for the pediatrician by means of surveying methods. Methods: Diarrheas lasting more than 14 days were accepted as persistent diarr- hea. Forty-one persistent diarrhea cases aged 0-24 months were investigated in this study. The cases were evaluated for the presen- ce of mucus and/or leukocytes in stool and were thus divided into two major groups as colitis or enteropathies. For the differential diagnosis of the persistent colitis group, stool cultures, dietary restrictions, complete blood count, acute phase reactants, pathergy test, gene analysis for familial Mediterranean fever and Behcet's disease, colonoscopy, and biopsies were performed. In the persis- tent enteropathy group, differential diagnosis was made with the following tests: serum and stool electrolytes, arterial blood gases, serum albumin, total protein, lipid profile, stool alpha-1 antitrypsin level, stool pH, presence of stool fat and reducing substance, endoscopy, and biopsies. Results: The 27 persistent enteropathy cases included 7 celiac disease, 5 intestinal lymphangiectasia, 2 microvillus inclusion disease, 2 abetalipoproteinemia, and 11 cow's milk allergy. The 13 cases of the infantile colitis group included 1 Behcet's disease, 1 colitis ulcerosa and 11 cow's milk allergy. Two cases presenting as pancreatic insufficiency were diagnosed as cystic fibrosis. One case was diagnosed as cystic fibrosis plus cow's milk allergy. Conclusions: Reviewing the literature, these ca- ses represent the largest non-infectious infantile group of persistent diarrheas. A practical diagnostic algorithm for persistent diarr- heas has been constituted.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar interações de amostras de Escherichia coli enteroagregativa com tecido intestinal humano, a fim de documentar potenciais alterações em diferentes regiões do trato digestivo. MÉTODOS: Amostras de Escherichia coli enteroagregativa isoladas das fezes de crianças com diarreia persistente e a amostra protótipo 042, isolada de uma criança com diarreia em Lima, no Peru (controle positivo), foram analisadas por microscopia óptica de luz após semeadura em cultura de orgão in vitro de fragmentos de mucosa ileal e colônica. Foram analisadas as interações entre as diferentes cepas de Escherichia coli enteroagregativa e as mucosas ileal e colônica. RESULTADOS: A análise por microscopia óptica de luz indicou associação destes micro-organismos com o epitélio, provocando alterações. As cepas estudadas aderiram a ambas as regiões avaliadas (intestino delgado distal e grosso) e causaram alterações, especialmente naquelas áreas onde interagiram diretamente com o epitélio. No íleo, algumas regiões mostraram internalização secundária. CONCLUSÕES: Esses agentes podem causar diarreia persistente por meio de alterações no intestino delgado, no qual ocorrem as funções digestivo-absortivas. As lesões inflamatórias descritas na mucosa colônica poderiam explicar a colite mostrada em algumas crianças infectadas por Escherichia coli enteroagregativa.OBJETIVO: Evaluar interacciones de muestras de Escherichia coli enteroagregativa (EAEC) con tejido intestinal humano, a fin de documentar potenciales alteraciones en distintas regiones del tracto digestivo (intestino delgado distal e intestino grueso) y definir, con eso, su rol en la persistencia del proceso diarreico. MÉTODOS: Muestras de EAEC aislada de las heces de niños con diarrea persistente y la muestra prototipo 042, aislada de un niño con diarrea en Lima, Perú (control positivo) fueron analizadas por microscopía óptica de luz (ML) después de siembra en cultura de órgano in vitro de fragmentos de mucosa ileal y del colon. Fueron analizadas las interacciones entra las distintas cepas de EAEC y las mucosas ileal y del colon. RESULTADOS: El análisis por ML indicó asociación de estos microorganismos con el epitelio, provocando alteraciones. Las cepas estudiadas adhirieron a ambas regiones evaluadas: intestino delgado distal y grueso y causaron alteraciones, especialmente en aquellas áreas donde interactuaron directamente con el epitelio. En el íleo, algunas regiones mostraron internalización secundaria. CONCLUSIÓN: Estos agentes pueden causar diarrea persistente mediante alteraciones en el intestino delgado, donde ocurren las funciones digestivo-absortibas. Las lesiones inflamatorias descritas en la mucosa del colon podrían explicar la colitis descrita en algunos niños infectados por EAEC.OBJECTIVE: To examine the interactions of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains with small and large intestinal mucosa, in order to detect potential alterations in both regions of the digestive tract. METHODS: Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains, isolated from stools of infants with persistent diarrhea and the prototype strain 042 (O44:H18), isolated from a child with diarrhea in Lima, Peru (positive control), were analised by light microscopy after in vitro organ culture assay of ileal and colonic mucosa. The interactions between the different enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains and the ileal and colonic mucosa were analysed. RESULTS: Light microscopy analysis suggested an association of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains with the epithelium, inducing alterations. These bacteria adhered to both small and large bowel mucosa. The enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains induced alterations in those areas where they were directly interacting with the epithelium. In the ileum, some areas showed a secondary internalization. CONCLUSIONS: The enteroaggregative Escherichia coli strains could cause persistent diarrhea inducing alterations in the small intestinal structures, where the digestive-absorptive functions take place. Inflammatory lesions observed in colons could justify the colitis described in some children infected by enteroaggregative Escherichia coli.